CHICAGO — When the Tennessee Titans hired Brian Callahan in January, making him an NFL head coach for the first time, they wanted the former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator to help elevate what was one of the league’s weakest attacks last season.
In that regard, his regular-season debut in Sunday’s opener against the Chicago Bears, a team the 40-year-old Illinois native grew up cheering for, was a disappointment. It wasn’t exactly the debut Caleb Williams, the quarterback the Bears selected with the No. 1 overall pick of April’s draft, envisioned either.
In a game where both defenses made plays, though, Williams’ teammates made a few more — with an assist from the turnover-prone Titans.
Tyrique Stevenson returned an interception 43 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, part of a defensive performance that bailed out Williams, and Chicago topped Tennessee 24-17 at Soldier Field.
The Bears, who have their sights set on a playoff spot after going 10-24 over the previous two seasons, rallied from a 17-0 first-half deficit, and they did it without a touchdown from their revamped offense. They shut down the Titans over the final two quarters.